Concert for Sandy Relief, '12-12-12,' Being Planned by Same People Behind Historic 9/11 Benefit

Source: NY Daily News

Concert for Sandy Relief, called '12-12-12,' being planned by same people behind historic 9/11 benefit show

'The Concert for New York,' which raised over $35 million, was called one of the greatest moments in rock 'n roll history. Performers then included Paul McCartney, Jay-Z and The Who. Now the same group wants to help Hurricane Sandy victims.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012, 3:14 PM

The same people who organized “The Concert For New York” - the historic, star-packed show at Madison Square Garden that benefitted victims from that pivotal tragedy in 2001 - will assemble a similar fund-raising event for “Sandy” victims, to be held Dec. 12th at the same venue.

Madison Square Garden, along with Clear Channel, and the Weinstein Company, will produce the show, to be called “12-12-12 (A Concert For Sandy Relief)."

While they have yet to name the acts who will appear, in 2001 they featured stars as looming as Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, The Who, Elton John, Eric Clapton and dozens more.

That show, which Rolling Stone Magazine listed among the 50 moments that changed rock ‘n roll, raised over $35 million for its cause.

1. the Bieb is available, and has lots of fans with extra cash :-) nt

2. The same aging rock stars going through the same tired moves?

Yeah, let them go ahead and do it. It'll probably raise a shit-ton of money. But does anybody think that scheduling something like this more than a month from now when people are suffering and possibly dying in the Rockaways and Staten Island right now is more than a token gesture?

If the performers really care, let them go out and start climbing 23 flights of stairs in the dark to knock on the doors of little old Russian-Jewish ladies to find out if they're still alive. After they've paid their dues doing that, they'll have the right to get up on a stage and ask for cash.

4. Some work is short term, some long term. I support people doing what they will...

5. Seriously?

$35 Million (the last time, probably more 10 years later) is nothing to sneeze at and I'm sure will help a lot of people.
I hear your frustration, but I think this is a grand idea, and I imagine it will take some time to put something of this magnitude together.

7. There have been so many of these since the Concert for Bangla Desh in 1971

And it would be all very well if natural disasters were simply acts of God that took an extra infusion of cash to put right.

But it's becoming increasingly obvious that the real problem on a global level is with our political systems -- systems that perpetuate poverty, that allow poor people to live in unsafe and often unsustainable conditions, that in some places are riddled with corruption so they wink at substandard construction in hurricane or earthquake zones, and that rely when things go wrong on charitable organizations and NGOs that if anything make the disasters worse and are themselves susceptible to corruption and exploitation . . .

I'm tired of putting bandaids on problems that allow a few rich performers and donors to feel good about themselves. I want the problems fixed. I want everyone on the planet to have a decent life. I want the actual, unavoidable disasters to be met with relief that is prompt, honest, targeted at those who need it most, and dedicated to protecting the victims against the inroads of disaster capitalism.

And I'm at a point where I can't really endorse any charitable effort that merely perpetuates a corrupt and failing system.